Chapter 18

TYLER

What the hell was I doing? I had just spent over an hour swimming, trying to drown out the thoughts of this girl, and here I was, touching her. Time wasted. I thought, but there was nothing I could do now–or at least nothing I wanted to do. Declan was happy for the closeness. In the back of my mind, I saw him pacing, eager for more, even as my mom’s warning echoed in my thoughts. Mila wasn’t worthy.

“Like this?” Mila asked, pulling her wrists out of my grasp and creating distance between us. Declan didn’t like her repositioning, but I silently thanked her for it. It was hard to think when she was this close. I watched as she lightly closed her fists and brought it up to her face. I laughed at her weak form, but mostly at the fact she looked so determined and so…cute.

“Not unless you’re trying to hit a weak child,” I said, closing the distance and enclosing my hand over hers. “Tighten it like this. Pretend like you’re trying to crush something hard.”

“O…okay.” Her voice was shaky,